


Making Christmas

by fangirlSevera



Category: The 4400
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-18
Updated: 2011-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-27 12:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/295810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlSevera/pseuds/fangirlSevera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tess goes on a little quest to decorate for Christmas. Set post-series. So spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making Christmas

Even during the time of peace and good will, the city was tearing itself apart. Even its name still couldn't be agreed upon. Collier and followers had dubbed it “Promise City,” NTAC and many at the 4400 Center insisted on keeping it Seattle. No matter what it was called, it was a city in turmoil, gripped in confusion and fear.

Tess watched the snow fall outside her window. A deep sadness came over her. She remembered her father telling her a story from when he had been a young man fighting in World War I. How on Christmas, opposing sides of a brutal conflict could stop and make peace for at least one special night. A night where they were all just men far away from home and their families.

Why was it easy then, but impossible now? Was there so little hope left? Tess shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, although her and Kevin's apartment was perfectly warm.

She was happy to be living in the twenty-first century. She knew had she not been abducted, she could have lived out her years in an asylum not cured and uncared-for. But she did miss her family, and sometimes missed some of the simplicity and traditions. There was still a part of her that yearned the white picket fence and a family of her own. A home.

She turned from the window and swept her gaze over the apartment. Shawn had been generous, giving them one of the larger set of rooms the Center had to offer. It had a full kitchen, living room, and even a study where Kevin worked when not in the lab. But it wasn't home.

Home would have a Christmas tree. Home would have fireplace and stockings. There'd be a wreath on the door. Her mother had a set of wooden angels Tess always admired.

Instead, the room was bare and Tess' sadness deepened. She was determined then to do something about it.  


* * *

  
"Shopping? Tess, you can't just go casually shopping anymore. Department stores aren't even open. Besides, it's too dangerous for you."

"You think _everything's_ too dangerous."

"Tess!"

Okay, that was unfair. But Kevin's paranoia had a way of extending around her to the point of coddling. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled into his hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

He took her hand and kiss her knuckles. "I know."

She left Kevin to his work and moved on to Plan B.

"Mr. Farrell is very busy at the moment."

"I know," Tess told Shawn's assistant, Joanna, "I want to talk to you."

"To me?" Joanna looked startled. Tess had the feeling she didn't like her for some reason. Maybe she was scared of her, but there were people with much scarier abilities than Tess' around.

"I was wondering if you, as in the Center, had any Christmas decorations."

"I- uh- I don't know. I think we had decorated the lobby in years past. We might still have something in storage."

"Aren't you going to decorate this year?"

"We don't really have the time or staff right now."

"It'd be good for moral," Tess suggested.

"I don't- Look. Talk to the building manager. She may know."

"Oh, okay." Tess didn't know where or who the building manager was. Joanna looked so frazzled and busy, though, Tess didn't feel like asking her anymore questions.

Tess found herself in the lobby. There had to be a directory down here somewhere. Where a pretty receptionist once sat, there was a male security guard. In fact, the only other people in the lobby other than Tess was security, both employed by the Center plus a couple NTAC agents. Through the glass doors, the view was almost wholly obscured by the snowfall. Just as well, then, that Kevin insisted she not go outside today.

The nice security man at the desk helped her figure out the way to the building manager. Before leaving the lobby Tess examined the potted trees, checking to see if they were real or not.

Ms. Thorndike's office was like entering a room made out of warm blankets. All the worries and problems of the world melted away. Tess had never felt so relaxed. Ms. Thorndike from among her piles of paperwork smiled. "Nice, isn't it?"

Tess sat down, the standard office chair felt like a plush papasan. "You should do this for the entire building, the entire city."

Ms. Thorndike shook her head. "It only works up to so many square feet I'm afraid. Welcome to the 'Sanctuary.' What can I do for you today?" Tess told her. "Christmas decorations?" She laughed. "Makes a nice change to all these requests for," she picked up a stack of files, "'Expanded Security Development.' A nice way of saying 'fortification' I suppose. But yes, there should be some holly and ivy in storage."

"Is it okay for just personal use?"

"Of course, sweetie, do whatever makes you happy. I'll call down to Roland, let him now I okayed it."

Tess got up to leave, but at the last moment remembered to ask about taking one of the potted conifers. "I'm sure there's full artificial trees in with the other decorations."

"I know, I just prefer real. I'll take good care of it and put it back after New Year's."

"Of course, sweetie. Take whichever you like. Roland can help with that, too."

Even after exiting Ms. Thorndike's "sanctuary," Tess was feeling a little better about the day. Roland was a great help. Together they dug through crates of ornaments, wreathes, and lights. Tess filled an empty box with as much as she could carry. There was so much left-over, unused. Careful not to use her ability, she tried to persuade Roland that they could still make a few more rooms a bit festive. He just repeated what Joanna had said: No time, no staff. "And with everything else going on, who cares about bits of light and plastic garland?" Off Tess' falling expression he amended, "Except for you miss, of course. Which is good. Little girls should care about Christmas."

Little girl? She was about to tell him she was twenty-one, and hardly a little girl. Instead she said, "I'm seventy," and carried her box of decorations haughtily away.

She stopped at the apartment to drop off the box and ran back downstairs to join Roland in the lobby. The security guards and NTAC agents gave them funny and amused looks as Tess considered a couple of trees, tapping her foot as she decided. Roland stood next to her, leaning on a dolly. "They look the same to me, miss- er- ma'am."

Tess shushed him. "That one," she said, pointing to the one she was convinced was just a touch greener than its neighbor. One of the NTAC agents even helped Roland shift it onto the dolly. Tess grinned all the way back to her rooms.

She sat on the floor, untangling a string of white lights, humming Christmas songs to herself. That was one of the things still missing. No Bing Crosby crooning over the radio. All the Seattle stations had been taken over by Collier's followers, spreading the message: Be Positive. Be Proud. Be Free.

Decorating an entire room and tree by herself wasn't easy work. The lights tangled again as she tried to wrap them around the tree. And although it wasn't very tall, Tess still had to stand on a stool to reach the upper branches. The only ornaments they had were some generic red and gold plastic balls. She hopped up on the stool again to place a silver star at the top.

She tied red ribbons on a green garland and draped it over the window frame. A desktop Santa and snowman found a home on the coffee table once Tess cleared away Kevin's clutter. He had been getting better at keeping organized, or at least keeping his chaos contained to his study. Occasionally, though, it migrated outside. She gathered the notes up and left them on his desk. In the study she found three mugs with different levels of cold coffee left in them. She collected them and wondered how he ever managed without her.

She made herself a cup of tea and back in the living room it was dark enough to plug in the tree. The lights popped on, casting the room in a low, but cheery glow. It was perfect! Maybe it was more to do with the tea, but Tess no longer felt the chill that had clung to her since the morning.

Well, almost.  


* * *

  
Kevin straightened from peering into a microscope. He simultaneously rubbed his eyes with one hand and the back of his neck with the other. "You should rest."

Kevin started, not having heard her come in. She stepped closer and replaced the hand on his neck with her own, massaging gently. "You're not going to save the world tonight. But maybe tomorrow, _if_ you get some rest."

Kevin turned and gave her a small smile. "Is that your medical opinion, Dr. Doerner?"

"Definitely," she said with a quick nod. He allowed her to pull him from his chair and lead him from the lab. She stopped before opening the apartment door. "Close your eyes. I have a surprise!"

He immediately did so, and she loved him for it. He trusted no one else so simply, but she had always been special. Even before, when neither were well enough to be outside the mental hospital, they had been able to break each others barriers, be there for each other in a way no one had understood.

Tess opened the door. She led him in only far enough to shut it again behind them. She did so carefully and slowly as not to rattle the bells hanging from the knob and give the game away too soon.

"Okay," she said, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "You can open them now."

Kevin opened his eyes and blinked in the low light. "Oh, Tess!" He said, looking around the room. "You did all of this today?" She smiled and nodded, happy he so clearly approved. "It's beautiful." He turned and kissed her on the cheek. "Is that... One of the trees from the lobby?" He went up to it, checking its authenticity.

"Yup! Don't worry, I have permission." She joined him in front of the tree. He poked a plastic ball and sent it swinging. "I just wanted it to be more like home. But it couldn't be without you here."

He pulled her into his arms. As they embraced, all of Tess' chill vanished and she could pretend that she would never feel it again.


End file.
